Today In History

Today is Saturday, Nov. 16, the 320th day of 2013. There are 45 days left in the year.Today's highlight:On Nov. 16, 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.On this date:In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.In 1885, Canadian rebel leader Louis Riel was executed for high treason.In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.In 1917, Georges Clemenceau again became prime minister of France.In 1946, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was founded at the conclusion of a conference in London.In 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway.In 1960, Academy Award-winning actor Clark Gable died in Los Angeles at age 59.In 1961, House Speaker Samuel T. Rayburn, 79, died at his home in Bonham, Texas, having served as speaker since 1940 except for two terms as minority leader of the Democrats.In 1966, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in his second trial of murdering his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.In 1973, Skylab 4, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral on an 84-day mission.In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.In 1997, China's most prominent pro-democracy campaigner, Wei Jingsheng (way jeeng-shuhng), arrived in the United States after being released following nearly 18 years of imprisonment in his country.Ten years ago: Serbs failed for the third time in a year to elect a president because of low voter turnout. Bettina Goislard, a French United Nations worker, was shot and killed in Afghanistan.Five years ago: Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States calling for American forces to remain in the country until 2012. Space shuttle Endeavour linked up with the international space station. The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the San Diego Chargers 11-10, the first such final score in NFL history.One year ago: Former CIA Director David Petraeus told Congress that classified intelligence showed the Sept. 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans was a terrorist attack. He said the Obama administration withheld that information to avoid tipping off al-Qaida affiliates that U.S. intelligence was on their trail. Financially struggling Hostess Brands Inc. announced it was shutting down its operations following a strike by the union.Associated Press

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